Notwithstanding the rising homelessness crisis, the proposal by the NSW Government to redevelop Waterloo Estate, Australia’s largest social housing estate located close to Sydney’s CBD, is threatening the future of current public housing residents who are facing eviction.

Spread across 19 hectares, Waterloo Estate, which was built almost 5 decades ago, is home to more than 3,000 public housing residents, who will be impacted by the proposed redevelopment under an NSW Government plan called Communities Plus. Under this plan, the public land – valued at over $1 billion – will be given to private developers for development, subject to a 70:30 mix of private and social housing.

Waterloo South, which makes up 12 hectares of the estate, will be redeveloped in the first stage, involving the demolition of 749 homes and forcing almost 2,000 residents into temporary relocation. The rezoning of Waterloo Estate will allow for approximately 3,000 new homes to be constructed including 847 social housing units and 227 affordable housing units, across four high-rise buildings and several mid- to low-rise buildings.

According to this mix, the renewal will result in 64 per cent private housing, 28 per cent social housing and 8 per cent affordable housing. However, Waterloo South is currently home to 86 per cent social housing. With the redevelopment, only 98 units will be added to the existing public housing component.

NSW Minister for Planning and Homes Anthony Roberts, who described the rezoning as a major step forward for the state-significant proposal last November, explained that the planning control changes paved the way for the next stage of the project and supported the delivery of new social and affordable housing, as well as private homes and new public spaces.

“This is about breathing new life into an old social housing estate to support the needs of the growing number of people who call – or want to call – Waterloo home,” he said.

While the NSW Land and Housing Corporation, which is responsible for the redevelopment, will give existing tenants at least 6 months’ notice to move, the City of Sydney will work closely with the NSW Government to make sure the wellbeing of the tenants is prioritised during the changes.

However, the existing residents of Waterloo Estate, many of whom have been living there for decades, now face an uncertain future. Tenants have expressed concerns about relocating and not being able to return to a place they have always called home. Many have fears about losing not only their homes but also their friends and connections within the community.

Waterloo Estate residents have received support from Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who called the NSW Government’s plan “a tragedy” and said the redevelopment presented an amazing opportunity for any responsible government to build more social and affordable housing. Speaking at a council meeting early last year, she said, “We’ve got a housing crisis in Sydney, and if we can’t have social housing on publicly owned sites, where are we going to have it?”

Shelter NSW, which advocates for better housing outcomes, has called on the Government to treat the tenants with decency and respect. “For many Waterloo South residents, moving away from the estate means moving away from their circles of support – their friends, neighbours, GP, local chemist, cultural connections, and other services. The disruption is huge and unsettling,” said Shelter NSW senior policy officer Cathy Callaghan.

Existing tenants at Waterloo South are expected to be relocated by early 2024. Meanwhile, the public housing waiting list in NSW has crossed 51,000.

Image: https://www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/articles/2022/public-to-have-say-on-future-of-waterloo-estate

Branko Miletic

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